No, squatting in residential properties is illegal in the United Kingdom under the Criminal Law Act 1977 and the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Only squatting in commercial properties may avoid criminal liability, though civil remedies like possession orders remain available to owners. Local authorities and police forces enforce these provisions, with recent 2026 Home Office guidance emphasizing stricter penalties for repeat offenders.
Key Regulations for Squatting in United Kingdom
- Criminal Law Act 1977 (Section 6): Prohibits using or threatening violence to enter residential premises occupied by another, criminalizing squatters who forcibly enter or remain.
- Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (Section 144): Makes squatting in residential buildings a criminal offense punishable by up to 6 months imprisonment, a fine, or both, enforced by local police forces.
- Protection from Eviction Act 1977: Landlords must obtain a court order before evicting squatters, as self-help evictions constitute criminal harassment under local authority oversight.
Local councils, such as Westminster City Council, collaborate with the Metropolitan Police to monitor high-risk areas, while the 2026 Home Office directive mandates faster processing of possession claims to deter repeat squatting incidents. Commercial property squatting remains a civil matter, though landlords may pursue injunctions under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.